Delhi Police to lodge FIRs in minor offences too

New Delhi: A senior police officer has
informed a court that now onwards it would be obligatory on
Delhi Police to register FIRs in cases relating to minor
offences.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police Head Quarters, who was
summoned by the court to justify the non-registration of the
FIR into the stabbing of a boy who later died, said now, the
complaints would be registered as are done in cases relating
to heinous offences such as murder and rape.

The officer submitted before Additional Sessions Judge
R K Gauba that so far as minor offences were concerned, police
used to record them in their daily diary.

The Code of Criminal Procedure describes the offences
into two categories cognisable and non-cognisable. In case of
cognisable offences like murder, rape and robbery, the police
register the FIR and hand over the copy to the complainant.

In case of non-cognisable (minor) offences, they lodge
a non-cognisable report (NCR).

DCP HQ informed the ASJ that all the police stations
have been supplied a prescribed form which is filled with the
help of computer programmes.

The police officer appeared before the court as it
started an inquiry after being told during final arguments in
a criminal case that the Ashok Vihar police station had failed
to lodge the FIR even after the victim was stabbed by the
accused.

The police, in the case, took the plea that they did
not lodge the FIR as they could not get report with regard to
medical examination of the victim.

"It is correct that the local police should have
registered an FIR under Section 154 CrPC immediately after
recording the statement of Laxman (victim) rather than waiting
for the opinion which could have come even as part of the
investigation in due course," the official said.

The court took a serious view of the failure to lodge
the FIR in that case immediately after the incident on October
22, 2007. The police officers, in that case, had acted two
days after the victim died of the injuries.

Meanwhile, the court issued fresh notice to then DCP
Manish Aggarwal for August 7 and asked him to explain as what
action has been taken against the negligent police officers
who failed to register the case promptly.